Founded in 1871, Richards Buell Sutton is the oldest law firm in British Columbia, and one of the oldest in Canada. Today, we’ve benefited from more than 150 years of practising law, developing our knowledge and gaining experience, and by earning the loyalty of long-term clients, from institutions and corporations to individuals.

By Canadian law firm standards, we sit neatly and intentionally in the mid-sized law firm space with offices in Vancouver and Surrey. Our lawyers number in the 50’s, we have more than two dozen paralegals, and are supported by many long-term staff, as well as a loyal hard-working and diverse management team.

We are a diverse, respectful and collegial workplace. It is our firm belief that diversity both strengthens RBS and enhances our ability to represent our broad base of clients.

Click on the below headings to take you through our program. If you have additional questions, please email us at students@rbs.ca. Our partners, associates, students and administrators take the time to get to know you.

Student Programs
What We Look for in Students
How to Apply & What to Expect
Salary & Benefits
Current Students
Student Committee
Our Lawyers Who Articled at RBS
Student News
Testimonials

Student Programs

Congratulations on planning for the early stages of your legal career! We are pleased to be among your potential choices of firms and appreciate your interest in RBS.

RBS offers both a summer program and an articling program.

Summer Program

Second year law students have the opportunity to work in a legal environment in preparation for their third year of law school and, beyond that, their articles. There is no formal rotation for our summer students and they are encouraged to proactively seek out work and be open to experiencing various types of work. For more details on the type of work you can expect to receive, please refer to “Articling Program” below.

Articling Program

Our hope is to hire articling students who become our associates and, eventually, partners in the firm. Articling students rotate through solicitor and litigation programs. During rotations, you can expect to receive work from lawyers in that practice area and obtain an exposure to a broad variety of subject matters. We do not expect you to drop a file that you have worked extensively on because that rotation is over; in fact we encourage our students to get involved and really take control of files that really appeal to them – getting their fingerprints all over files that excite them.

Student Program Details

Whether in the summer or articling program at RBS, highlights of our student program include:

Hands-on experience in a variety of practice areas
We believe in learning by doing, which is evident in the invaluable hands-on experience gained by past students. This includes meeting with clients, negotiating settlements, preparing documents, assisting in trial preparation, attending at chambers applications, conducting small claims court trials, reviewing and drafting contracts, drafting estate planning documents, preparing commercial leases, assisting with property development, dealing with intellectual property matters and conducting legal research, among many others. We believe in giving our students direct exposure to clients, their advisors, and external counsel so that our students can develop the art of communication, running files, and build relationships with key people. The unparalleled exposure to legal practice our students receive lays a strong foundation for a successful career.

Students are encouraged to explore their interests and develop their skills in that area by reaching out to our lawyers and attending practice group meetings and continuing education courses.

Our areas of expertise are divided into several practice groups:

Asia Pacific
Business Services
Business Transactions
Employment & Human Rights
Estate & Wealth Advisory
Institutions
Litigation & Dispute Resolution
Personal Injury
Personal Services
Real Estate
South Asian
Technology & Innovation

Training
Students take part in our firm orientation and training program. From technology and systems training, to research, writing, practice management and professional development, we cover all aspects of working in a law firm.

Feedback & Evaluations
Summer and articling students are evaluated and provided feedback twice over the course of the program. Lawyers are also encouraged to provide feedback on any projects or files with which the student has assisted. We also encourage students to actively seek feedback on their own.

Supported Growth & Learning
We pride ourselves on our people – professionals who are dedicated to fostering your career growth. Our team is committed to taking the time to provide mentorship and guidance, so that you can develop the skills and confidence needed to excel in your legal career. Each student receives personalized guidance through constant access to their Principal, the Director of Professional Development, and practice group leaders. Our open-door policy ensures that students benefit from the expertise of our well-respected and experienced litigators and solicitors at RBS.

Social activities
RBS holds a number of social activities and gatherings on a weekly basis and throughout the year. In addition to a summer social and a winter party for all firm members, the lawyers gather for pizza and sushi regularly, and the associates meet as a group for social activities and professional and business development sessions. We also have an active social committee that organizes food drives, events, wellness initiatives, and other “friendly” competitions around the office at various times throughout the year. While attendance is encouraged, it is not expected that you attend all events.

What We Look for in Students

When we hire our students, we look for those who are:

• Keenly interested in a legal career
• Self-starters
• Critical thinkers
• Client-service focused
• Team players – students who will work well with, contribute to, and engage with our diverse team
• Well-rounded in terms of education and employment history.

Although grades are important, we seek students who maintain a healthy balance in life, with activities outside the field of law.

Salary & Benefits

Our students receive a salary and benefits competitive in the downtown Vancouver market. Highlights include:

• Summer students who return to article with RBS receive a third-year tuition bonus.
• Articling students are paid their salary during PLTC, a full range of legal memberships are covered, and they receive a comprehensive benefits package. For more information visit Teams with Benefits.
• All firm members have access to a full gym at no cost.